On Friday, March 10, a Palestinian terrorist entered an Israeli settlement armed with knives and explosive devices and was shot and killed by an Israeli settler in self-defense according to the Israeli military.
According to the IDF, the armed Palestinian slipped into a farm near the settlement of Karnei Shomron and was fatally shot by an Israeli settler overseeing the land.
In covering this incident and the increase in violence between Israelis and Palestinians, CBC reporter Chris Brown led his CBC National report on March 10 with an interview of the terrorist’s father, which drew sympathy to his dead son and which implicitly cast doubt as to whether the Palestinian was intent on carrying out a terror attack.
Reporter Chris Brown (emphasis added): “In the occupied west bank, violence is surging and in the village of Saniriya, people woke up to learn that 21-year-old Abel Karim al-Sheikh is the latest victim, shot to death by an Israeli settler.”
Father of Palestinian terrorist, Badaie al-Sheikh (emphasis added): “They claim that he has tried to attack the settlers, but to tell you the truth, we are subject to harassment and all kinds of provocations from settlers over there.”
Reporter Chris Brown (emphasis added): “His father, Badaie, was still trying to process the news when he spoke to our CBC crew only a few hours later.”
Father of Palestinian terrorist, Badaie al-Sheikh (emphasis added): “He was very polite, very well behaved.”
Reporter Brown then said that the IDF released photos of knives allegedly in Abel Karim al-Sheikh’s possession and relayed that he was neutralized by an Israeli settler who owned the farm that the Palestinian broke in to. Brown omitted mentioning to CBC viewers that the Palestinian was also in the possession of explosive devices and by deduction, wasn’t just on a leisurely stroll and errantly trespassed. By all intents and purposes, he was on a mission to murder Israelis, armed to the teeth.
Importantly, the Times of Israel reported that: “The suspect allegedly hurled two IEDs, one of which exploded, before the owner of the farm shot him dead. The Rescuers Without Border emergency service said at least 10 IEDs were found in the area.”
CBC’s report continued by again quoting the father of the Palestinian terrorist, Badaie al-Sheikh, saying: “Blood brings up blood, and I think for my son, maybe lots of his fellows or his friends will try to, either took revenge for him, or, to follow his suit.”
Photo of Abel Karim al-Sheikh from CBC report.
For its part, CBC’s website described the report as follows (emphasis added) “Violence between Israeli settlers and Palestinians is surging. A father speaks about his devastating loss just hours after his son was killed by a settler in the occupied West Bank.”
For the CBC, the focus of their report was on the so-called “devastating loss” of a Palestinian terrorist, a man who by all evidence available, was intent on massacring innocent Israeli civilians.
The manner in which this CBC report was framed was morally objectionable as reporter Chris Brown drew sympathy to the dead Palestinian terrorist as a “victim” and to his family, as individuals who just suffered a “devastating loss”. To reiterate, CBC felt it was important to include footage that described this Palestinian terrorist as “very polite, very well behaved.”
CBC concluded its report with footage of people offering their condolences to the father of this Palestinian terrorist.
Meanwhile, reporter Chris Brown also filed a similar report for CBC Radio that aired on March 10 at 6:19pm ET which saw this CBC journalist describe the killing of Karim al-Sheikh as “tragic news.” Listen to the report in full immediately below:
These reports came on the heels of previous CBC reporting on Palestinian death tolls that failed to disclose that most, if not all of the Palestinian casualties, are terrorists; many of whom were killed in armed conflict with Israeli counter-terrorism forces, or who were neutralized while carrying out a terror attack. An HonestReporting Canada alert on March 10 noted that recent reports by CBC journalist Chris Brown were no exception, as the CBC’s reporter sanitized Palestinian terrorism, inaccurately reported on the number of Israelis killed this year by Palestinian terrorists, and falsely described Tel Aviv as Israel’s capital city. Subsequent to HonestReporting Canada’s complaint, also on March 10, CBC broadcast the following on-air correction to remedy its falsely claiming that Tel Aviv is Israel’s capital.
The correction stated: “And a note, a report last night on protests in Israel referred to Tel Aviv as the capital. Israel considers Jerusalem to be its capital.”
Alarmingly, CBC journalist Chris Brown’s reporting continues to sanitize and whitewash Palestinian terrorism and sympathetically portray Palestinian terrorists as victims. That our public broadcaster produced and broadcast this report is alarming and that our tax dollars are paying for this, is beyond the pale. Enough is enough.
